Old Scabs
by Good Evening
Summary: ZeKa. Relating to 'Epilouge' series. Zero comes home pissed, and ends up taking advantage of Kaname's oh-so-cool exterior. In short: Kaname gets his, Zero's humanity wobbles on the precipice, and wounds run deeper than mean words and funning with emotions


"I'm very sorry, Mr. Kiriyu, but I can't allow you to take extended assignments," the receptionist was young; maybe about twenty-two,

"Why the **Hell **not?!" Zero was getting pissed. He kept running his hands through his hair, urging it to get out of his face so he could glare at the redhead full throttle. She shifted papers around and seemed to be looking or some forms,

"On your medical record, it states you recently saw a doctor. If anything might be wrong, the Agency couldn't risk an assignment fouling u-" he slammed his hand on the desk and leaned in close, hissing,

"_That information was not to be disclosed to the company_," he noticed how she twitched, glancing at the door as if begging for help from one of the many guards, but the renovated Agency had no choice but to trust him. After defeating Rido and the incident with the Senate, he was one of the foremost frontiersmen for justice within the organisation. She was too young for her own good. Nevertheless, he straightened himself, and tried to speak more calmly and maybe with a little less animosity. "It shouldn't be any concern of yours. It was a nothing but a check-up, and I assure you that, if it comes to it, the doctor will confirm it." She seemed a little unfazed by his words, but relaxed greatly as his tone changed. Then, slowly,

"I'd like that confirmation, Sir." He nearly tore her pretty little head off.

-

The door burst open and Kaname started in bed, reading a book and wincing so hard it fumbled to his lap. He tried to salvage the page number, but didn't catch it before it dropped. He sighed in irritation and threw off the comforter, hearing shoes thrown harshly against the wall as he slipped a robe over his naked shoulders. The crashing didn't stop in the parlour, and as he walked down the hallway to the stairs, he heard the sound of keys and a coat being tossed on the floor. Angry footsteps made their way to the kitchen, and he paused for a moment, listening apprehensively for the distinct sound of the purposely-loosened hinge on the liquor cabinet. It squeaked, and he rushed down the stairs with a thin mouth and narrowed brow, calling out,

"Zero? You know what the doctor said about alcohol," he ran through the living room and reached the kitchen, stopping at the archway and curling his nails against the plaster. Zero was bent over the island, an unlabelled bottle and a couple of shot glasses in front of him. His look could wither an army of lions. He looked up, a dark look on his face,

"Kaname." He acknowledged. The brunette's back went rigid at the man's lukewarm tone, and he left the archway, cautiously approaching the younger man,

"Zero, whatever happened, you know it's a bad idea to try and get rid of it this way." The man blinked at him slowly, curiously, then walked around the island, fingernails dragging along the marble in a constant scrape, left hand limp at his side. There was an angry humour about him, and he seemed ready to lash out at whatever attentions his counterpart was willing to offer,

"They won't let me go to Rome," he said slowly, casually, eyeing the shots from the corner of his vision. He inspected his jagged nails as Kaname's shoulders dropped, holding a hand up to stop the man from interrupting him, "it seems my medical files were disclosed to the office, and the clearance I'd been granted for extended missions was revoked." Kaname looked at him strangely, a little nervous, now, "It's very odd that such a thing would happen, considering I specifically ordered the doctor to keep my file locked up at the hospital," he clicked his tongue a couple of times, delighting as the brunette flinched, "you wouldn't happen to anything about how this came about, would you?" His fist beat down on the countertop in emphasis, and he reached for the bottle. Kaname grabbed his wrist before he could get close, looking away in embarrassment,

"I'm sorry. I told the doctor to deliver the file to my office, so I could see the results, but he must have thought he was to notify all family and workplaces. I never meant for this to happen…" he struggled with himself, trying not to look the man in the eye and accidentally slip. Zero watched him passively, then watched his hand gently stroke the palm the held it. Kaname didn't react much. Upon seeing this, he leaned into the island, not allowing the other man to let go quite yet,

"Your body language changes when you try to lie to Yuki or me." He smirked coldly when Kaname froze, "Nobody lies to you anymore. You should return the courtesy." Yanking his hand away, he turned to the bottle, but the brunette grabbed him again, having little trouble keeping him away. Until he felt a small pain in his side, a wet nail pressing dangerously through the brocade robe.

"Ah," he stalled completely, unable to identify the liquid coating Zero's fingernail, and therefore narrowing it down to several things the man had explicitly warned him to **never** go near,

"If you keep me away from my drink any longer, I swear to God you won't wake up until your wife comes to get you." Completely still, Kaname allowed the fuming man to leave his grip, breathing again when the nail was removed. Two glasses were poured, and Zero opened the back door, walking out to his lounger. It was almost five, so the last of the sunlight was disappearing, making it a little more bearable for the elder of the two to 'enjoy' his drink outside. He hesitantly joined the other man, taking a seat on one of the stone benches close to the garden. It was difficult to discern exactly what his friend was thinking at this point, frankly because the only thing Zero dared let on was that he was absolutely pissed. And at the rate he was downing the crude drink, his mood would probably only darken. Having been exasperated simply by losing his place in his book, Kaname was loathe to put up with a twenty-six year-old ex human's tantrum; he doubted he could take it without throwing a punch or two.

"… Zero,"

"I'm not listening to anything you have to say." Flat-out refusing to co-operate was one of Kaname's pet peeves, and he wasn't going to stand much more,

"I can't let you ignore the doctor's orders. Put down the damned drink and come inside." A little startled by the fact the man was already willing to swear to get his way, Zero looked at him, a lop-sided smile on his face,

"You really think I'm going to listen just because you say so?" Kaname looked him straight on, a little irked,

"I expected you to think enough of me to trust me with your health and problems." Zero got up, and the brunette followed him with his gaze, "If you think I would ever do anything to purposely harm you, you're wrong."

"But you would interfere with my life," Zero stated questioningly, and elaborated, "to the point that I wouldn't have the ability to trust you." Kaname looked at him squarely, and deadpanned,

"I thought we passed that point a long time ago." The lighter-haired man smiled, and came close enough to the other male to see he'd finally gained his footing in the conversation and established a good poker face. It wasn't that Kaname had many difficulties concealing the truth, (to be sugar-coated) but he had to make an effort in some situations to control himself when his family got a little out of hand. His constitution was applauded as a diplomat, but as a lover, that iciness that made him so formidable in a debate could freeze him if a more domestic argument ever came about. And because he could be so self-sacrificing, he turned some of his frustrations upon himself, instead of on the opposition, resulting in a scenario that was easy to predict _because_ it could get out of hand. It was arguable whether the technique worked well or not, considering the cons.

Zero felt very tempted when he saw Kaname like that; watching him try hard not to get too angry or too heartless. It was something he would occasionally challenge, finding reasons to rapidly build up that rigid exterior, just to see how long the man could bear it before he came out of the funk. His system of defence was, in the least of terms, interesting.

Zero opened his mouth for a moment, stalling a bit as he collected the words he wanted to say, "…I'm thinking I need a break." He got up and casually looked about, before focusing in on the brunette like a hawk. His statement was finding trouble registering in that perfect head,

"Whatever do you mean?" Kaname said coolly. Zero kept watching him, wondering if he'd caught on to what was going on around him. When he built up like he was doing, it was like taking the blinds off a horse; he was suddenly seeing everything at once and, so intrigued, sometimes forgot the most simple, and sometimes, most cruel explanations. It lasted dear seconds. The twin walked back to his lounger and plopped down, looking up through leaves as they rustled with a late-evening breeze. He smiled,

"I mean I want to leave for a while. Go on some sort of adventure before I'm confined to a desk." His neck was exposed, and he watched Kaname stop his tightening body from his peripherals. He looked the man straight on again, waiting for a reply.

"… I'm sure I could talk it over with the travel agent," the man began haltingly, seemingly unaffected. Zero smiled; he knew he was getting to him.

"No, Kaname," the man looked directly at him then, his perfect posture twitching for a moment,

"What? If you want to do things step-at-a-time, it'll take longer to get you where you want to go-" Zero watched him closely, now,

"_I'm_ going," he paused, "completely alone." He finished quietly, slightly slouched as he put his weight on his arms. He could hear the man take in a very long breath, holding it for a moment, still watching his counterpart. Brown hair fell back a little as a chin tilted up in scrutiny,

"And where would you want to go?" Zero eyed his garden fondly for a moment, and the rosebush the old Headmaster had recently sent over,

"I don't know." His voice was already a little faraway, and he relished Kaname's panic alert as it settled in. The man crossed his legs slowly, clothes shuffling as he seemed to think over his choices. Zero knew he was being very cruel in doing this, but it didn't matter much, because he knew Kaname knew he still hated him. The informality of the occasional fuck was a testament to their bitterness and animosity toward each other. Or, at least what was left, meaning Zero's animosity, of course.

"You should talk this over with Yuki, I think. She could help you mull over the options and…" the look Zero gave him then could have killed him. The exhaustion mixed with his tireless abandon and sense of self-preservation: Kaname was stifling him. He could see that. And, suddenly, the brunette wanted very much to walk into the house and finish reading his book, think about this for a little while. He knew the man's rebellion wouldn't give him the choice, that look floating in his eyes without caution, clearly trying to get a rise and yet, not really caring if he didn't. The man didn't know, but he was actually stifling the brunette, too. Kaname ran his hands through his hair, trying to get a grip and evaluate his options.

"… I suppose we could arrange some sort agreement," Zero waited to see if he was going to say anything else, and when Kaname hesitantly moved his hand from his head to his lap, he wished suddenly that he had some popcorn. "This isn't just about the office, is it?" Zero nodded, an embittered wisdom shadowing his face. He liked this game and played it well. "But the office is what started it." Zero nodded again, unconsciously mimicking the deeper moments the Headmaster had had back at the Academy. He knew a simple nod could suffice in these situations. Kaname looked as if he was getting a little desperate, trying to placate the other man as much as he could, but he knew he couldn't very well win this one without almost completely losing him. "…I'll think about it." He finally said with regret; he was going to lose sleep over this, he knew it. Zero's smile edged across his face a little more, and he purposely relaxed his body, sliding gracefully into himself, all simple, strong lines and soft bends.

"You ought to spend more time with Yuki while I'm gone." He remarked casually, unmoved when Kaname snapped back,

"I spend plenty of time with my wife!" he was obviously frustrated, and Zero was elated that he'd formed and melted the ice so quickly, but then felt bored when he realised how easy it had been, like a spoiled child. He was getting too old for these lovers' spats. He got up, expecting the other man to at least look at him, but he seemed very deep in thought, so when he got fairly close, he wasn't surprised when the other snapped again defensively, "What do you want from me?" he asked acidly. And then Zero was holding the side of his face, and Kaname wasn't quite sure how he was meant to react. The gentle but starving look in the other man's eyes made him stiff again, and his unyielding military pose contrasted with his otherwise delicate-looking form.

Zero leaned into his ear, not bothering to brush away the hair and instead burying his nose in it, "I've asked so much of you already, and you don't even know it." He sounded peaceful, but as if he found it ironic, and inflected the end. Kaname tilted his head quizzically, sluggishly softening and relaxing as he felt the scene cool down again. But the haunt in his friend's voice disturbed him and he couldn't help it when he said, a little too bluntly even for him,

"I would give you everything." And he truly meant it. To the point of carnage and no return, but Zero sort of stopped for a moment, and the comfort Kaname had found in that gentle hold swiftly evaporated, and the blackness in the light-haired man's voice almost suffocated him,

"Please don't remind me." Something clicked, and he wondered if the younger man had wanted to fight a little more, but was still too perplexed and without much cause to ask. So, strangely enough, he just acted, and brought the hand on his shoulder to his lips, head bent slightly, feeling slightly scraggly, unwashed-for-two-days hair brush against his face as Zero leaned back again and watched him. It was like a cardinal kissing the pope's hand, and Zero remembered how devilishly handsome Kaname could be in red, and Kaname thought how surreal and beautiful his friend could be in white.

"… How about we go to bed, right now?" It was lascivious and more than obvious, but the other man was hurting a little too much at the moment to take up the offer firsthand. So Kaname slowly, unthreateningly like he knew Zero liked, guided the man into the house without much resistance. It was almost like a siren leading him to his fate, and all the younger male needed for the scene to be complete was a longer, thinner robe on the brunette, and maybe some ominous chanting. Neither would do them much good, in the end: the robe was going to come off one way or another, and if he was in a playful or hurtful enough mood, Kaname would be screaming too loudly to hear the monastic pitches.

Zero closed the bedroom door behind him and Kaname sat down, the sheets still torn up from when he'd scampered downstairs. The younger stood by the door after it the lock clicked. Hs posture was straight and stony, and his motionlessness worrisome. Standing there for some time, he finally addressed the man on the bed,

"Strip, please. And lay back." Kaname's brow twitched; Zero knew he didn't like taking orders, much less during such a tense time, but he wasn't sure he wanted to press this and have the man do something outrageous either to get back at him or enjoy himself. Doing this was much better than catching him in a Dutch red light district on a business trip. It was difficult to abandon someone who didn't speak the language to go hypocritically bitch about faithfulness and fidelity to a 'Mistress' (which was what one of his friends had referred to the man as on one, and only one, occasion.) Before Zero turned around, the brunette had already shuffled out of his robe, and lad back, working the pants off in such a way that his legs were lifted and pinched. He knew the other liked it that way; he could look like a woman if he hid the extra bits and covered up his chest, though it stung to have to do it that way. Several drunken and spiteful instances paved the way for a whole new sort of degradation he wasn't sure he was ready to bear.

"You can turn around any time, you know." He said drily, playing with his thumbs, knees hanging off the side of the bed. Zero at last faced him, walking over and putting a hand on either side of that beautiful brunette head, and with that solemn, faraway voice, said,

"We're going to do something different tonight." Kaname stopped what he was doing instantly, looking up at his friend with distrust,

"What are you talking about?" the alarm in his quiet voice didn't make Zero smile like it should have, only causing more stress when the light-haired man pulled away and walked into the bathroom. The elder slowly rose from the bed, calling out, "Zero, I'm not taking anything."

"Don't get up, and you'll do nothing of the sort." Uncomfortable again with orders and demands, Kaname sank back into the mattress with panic beginning to take over his mind. He shot up when he heard the click of bullets in a gun barrel,

"**ZERO**!!" He shouted, springing from the bed. There was a loud bang and his right shoulder felt like it had just exploded. He stood a few feet from the bathroom door, Zero placing the gun on the counter. The man looked at him for a moment, a haunting smile on his face.

"We got some new toys in from the lab," he pointed at the wound, "that's going to sting like Hell in a few seconds." Kaname rushed forward with impeccable speed and pushed the other man against the wallpaper, gripping his collar with bloodied fingers,

"What the **fuck** is wrong with you?!" he shouted, the burn already starting. It was difficult to move his arm without an alarming amount of pain. Zero eyed him up and down,

"Most people can't look threatening when they're naked. I thought you'd be different." He couldn't breathe, now, his throat was being pressed so hard. Kaname looked like he was going to scream, his eyes loathsome and dangerous, reminiscent of their old hatred, not yet buried.

"Could we have sex **one time** without me being in pain?"

"… How do you think I feel?" Zero dropped a bit when he was released, and watched the brunette fall against the sink, blood dropping from a closed wound onto the porcelain. He straightened his collar and relished the feel of his expanding lungs. Kaname was breathing with difficulty, gripping his arm so hard, his counterpart feared it'd tear off. But of course, he wouldn't stop it if it happened. It wasn't necessarily that he enjoyed paining the man so much, though he did savour it after particularly bad fights, he just needed it, like he needed air and food and shelter. Seeing the diplomat huddling over the sink, trying to stifle the dry sobs, the blood dripping off his fingertips… it was tricky to stay too stony for very long.

He reached for the figure, twitching when the man leaned toward the wall in order to escape him. In his irritation, Zero found himself literally bending him over backwards. A disgusting _crack_ told him he was going too far so early in the game. Plus; it wasn't the kind of issue he would go on a tirade about. Simply something he could use to exercise the businesslike, unquestionable dominance that broiled inside of him whenever he saw that tender face turn against him, or those capable hands waver in anger or fear. In short, he was a bit of a sadist.

"Kaname, I want to apologise for what I just did, but you know you weren't in the mood for the regular medication." 'Medication' being the paralyzing drug hunters would use in doses to tranquilize rogue or troublesome vampires. At certain amounts it could harmless or deadly.

"I thought you were the sort of person to shoot _after_ the deed is done." Just a routine way of calling the light-haired man a backstabber. Zero didn't really mind it but for the fact that he didn't really _stab_ backs, per se; he just shot and occasionally broke them. But still, he leaned in close to the mouth still coolly slurring at him, kissing the sides of it and wondering how he could have mistaken this man with Yuki when they were young and he loved paining him even more.

"If you want to be more comfortable, we can go to the bed," he said, slowly losing the cap on his breathing and voice. Kaname just looked back at him,

"Isn't the point degradation? What could have gotten you so upset that it would come back to this…?" The jackass was smiling, bearing well under the pain. It only served to piss off the man keeping him cornered. Zero might have growled if he was younger, but he knew almost every trick and tip on how to deal with this man. And, as he got older, he found he had become more used to them, but that he rarely ever had to use them. It seemed he had broken the proud mustang quite well for some things.

So, softly, hesitantly, he whispered, "When it gets like this, I don't think you understand as much as you could." His grip loosened, and he took on the saddened, morose tone than Yuki had always hated hearing. Of course, he'd used it constantly as a teenager. Kaname closed his eyes in near-defeat; he knew whatever game Zero was playing, it would always come down to how much he would be affected, and how much of a scar it would leave.

As briskly as possible, which wasn't very much considering how melancholy and barren it came out to be, he retorted as wretchedly as possible. "Whatever script you're trying to pull, we've already been through this act. Just fuck me and get it over with." He was incredibly bitter when it came to these moments—when the tyranny of Zero's insensitivity reached its max, the frustrations and betrayal flooded over, and they sank in it. The wounds these moments could inflict on the brunette were monstrous. And when he felt Zero stall, seemingly unsure of what to do, he braced himself for another onslaught, and the continuation of another cruel game they never seemed to get enough of.

The younger felt his partner sag in his arms, very ready to give up and get it over with, though they both knew that wouldn't really be giving up. "…I'm sorry." Kaname's eyes nearly popped out of his head. The man released him and walked away, fixing his shirt and suspenders and abandoning the bathroom. Kaname remained bent over the sink in sock,

"What did you say?" Zero never apologised so easily to anyone but Yuki, and considering what had started the fight, it didn't even make sense in context. Kaname felt like the man was pulling a practically joke.

When he heard the bedroom door open and footsteps trudge across the carpet, he jumped from the sink, gasping in pain as his back sluggishly fixed itself. He squeezed the bullet fro his arm as he ran down the stairs, naked and graceful as a Renaissance painting.

"What did you just say?" He found his friend downing a glass of water on the back steps, and stood in the doorway to confront him, "Why the hell are you apologising?" he asked quietly. Zero didn't even bother looking at him,

"Shouldn't you put on a robe, at least?" he said. Kaname's nails cracked the brick of the house,

"Why are you so insistent on doing these things to people?" without a beat, Zero responded,

"Didn't you do the same thing?" Kaname stalled out for a time, facing those liquid eyes. As cruel as the two of them could be, there was nothing quite like the sting of a vicious gaze. By the end of their staring contest, neither of their resolves had weakened, but the brunette's constitution was ebbing out of him, and keeping up appearances and his end of the argument suddenly became massive tasks he wasn't sure he could handle, at this point. By the time he'd come to a few wicked conclusions about how the other wanted to play this out, they'd already turned away from each other, that cool violet gaze now shrivelling the flowers.

"… No matter how old we get and how much we deal with each other on a weekly basis, we still can't quite get this right, can we? It's almost as if the resistance from high school has doubled, and I have to wonder sometimes if we still hate each other as much as we did then." Kaname answered carefully,

"I don't think love or hate can ever change, but we entered this together with the impression that that wouldn't matter." Zero smiled wistfully,

"Back in the old days, when everybody at the Agency hated me, Yagari told me passion is insanely fickle. Love and hate coincide and overlap sometimes. When it comes to a job, you either can or can't do it, and if you have even the slightest amount of sympathy for a target, if you hesitate, something must have gone awry." Kaname was deathly quiet for a moment, and the light-haired man knew he'd hit him quite hard. His grip on the bricks loosened greatly, and his arm nearly fell to his side,

"I suppose I should regret not being a target. You seem to show more sympathy to a convict than to anyone else." He felt submissive and hated it, but hated himself even more when he saw Zero smile even wider,

"The lot of them die. Dead men can relate to one another like nobody else can, and I've had more of those experiences than any one moment with you." He eyed the bloodied arm, "It seems the punchline has seeped into my private life now, as well." Kaname felt incredibly scandalised, and frowned fiercely,

"Sorry you won't kill me." The light-haired man looked at oddly for a second or two, and suddenly, the elder was much angrier. "**What**!? Would it make you happy if you could kill me?!" He said, gripping his naked chest and losing control as the drug worked its way through his system. Zero just looked at him with that melancholy smile, and walked over to him. Slightly bent over, eyeing him like an enemy, Kaname could barely keep himself from attacking the other man when they kissed.

"Not unless you want me to. You'd probably stop me out of instinct," He shucked his business jacket and rolled up the sleeves of his shirt. His black suspenders clinked as he stripped them. The brunette hissed when the man tried to reposition his arm, so the younger shrugged, just grabbed whatever was available and pushed up.

The bricks scraped roughly against Kaname's bare back, and he sighed sharply. To be honest, he hated doing something like this so callously. It couldn't even be called make-up sex, considering the fact that it was only fuelling the fire. Some of their arguments had gone on for years, but it didn't mean they were going to go without sex. Well, sex without each other, to be more specific. What Yuki could do warmed him to the bone, and whatever Zero could scrounge up in the city was good enough, but it might have been that same frustration and brutality that made sex between the two desirable. And, on the hunter's part, the less Kaname knew about the origin of his attraction, the better.

Clouds were moving in, a few drops plopping on their heads. Zero looked up from the other man's ear, a few dark hairs clinging to his face, "We ought to move inside before it starts raining," the elder said quietly, but his friend ground against him with a smile,

"No, this is fine." He reached under the brunette's thigh, stroking the flesh and listening for a moment. He liked it when Kaname would tense, but it was a little rarer for him to shiver. Even naked in a rainstorm, he'd be steady and fine. But the way his nails were grating the bricks into oblivion boasted the suggestive message that it might no be as hard to get to that point. Or, at least, it would be a little easier to do so, now. Considering of course the way they had just been fighting, and his rather vulnerable and drug-induced state.

Zero really, really did not like having sex with a sober pureblood.

"Zero," Kaname deadpanned quietly, "we're going to freeze to death if you don't get us inside, right now." He didn't slur when he was drugged, which would have been funny as Hell to witness, because the younger would have enough of his head together to enjoy it, but the way he moved was a little slower, less precise. And naturally, he had limited access to any of his normal abilities. Talking, he could do, but clawing up an ex human's back with razor-like talons was right out. It could be said he was a little more sober as a person when drugged. Now, when drunk, on the other hand… "Zero." He said again, "I don't want to have to force y-ho-**COLD**!!" He started beating at his friend's back, gasping and thrashing against the brick wall. Zero smirked, "You… unbelievable… **ass**!!!"

"Oh, like you didn't see that coming from a mile away." The man had been holding his hand against the cold wall for some time, waiting for them to chill to a starting temperature. It was now currently lodged between the brunette's legs. Kaname shivered and gulped, stretching and trying to get away from them,

"I will **kill** you if you ac-tu-AH-LY-" The younger wiggled his fingers, sneaking one up a little higher so it circled the other man's anus. Fists started beating against his back again, and he shoved the tense flesh against he wall hard, snatching a yelp and a buck from his elder.

"Come on, little boy, you know you've taken worse than this?" He scolded, twisting his finger languidly inside the other man. He sighed in bliss as fingernails ripped his shirt and scrabbled for something to grab onto. He loved it when he could undo Kaname like this.

"Why can't you just be normal?" Kaname lamented. Zero scoffed,

"What part of this goddamned soap opera do you find normal?" Bloody twisted soap opera, at that, they thought mordantly. When the brunette hid his face behind his hair, huffing and finally grappling on to the shirt he'd devastated, his friend teased him with another finger.

"**GOD DAMN** it, you sick bastard," he hissed angrily, fidgeting again. Every time they had sex, Zero mused, it was a 'new' experience. It was interesting because, being a pureblood, Kaname had impeccable healing. Ergo, no matter what happened, he would always return to the state he was born to be in. Which meant he could never be scarred except for foul play, and he would always be 'pure'. He gripped Zero's shoulders relentlessly, flexing those beautiful hands while the other man coaxed and rubbed his insides so as to loosen them. He shivered, "Why can't we just use some of that powder so we don't have to go through this Hell every single time?" Zero stopped for a moment, removing his fingers as Kaname groaned, then pushed the man up, looking him in the eye seriously,

"Never touch that shit. Don't even talk about it." He pushed both fingers back in and basked in the shout locked in his friend's throat, "I thought you were against it, anyway."

"… It was around when Ichiou was in power…" He huffed, trying to get used to the torture. He winced, "there are so many laws protecting it, you'd think your people made it specifically for him." Zero just smiled while the man yanked his hair because, yes, that was probably why.

"Can you do another?"

"**No**." Kaname grit out, although the man was already wiggling another in alongside the other two. He yelped, thighs crushing his assailant's waist and surely damaging him. He though, _Good_, and kept at it.

"Brat," Zero flinched when he felt the intentional squeeze, and after only a few moments with the third, added a fourth, and closed his eyes in pure pleasure as he savoured the long scream, hands tugging his hair from his scalp. "I think you can take a whole fist, at this rate," he mused. The hands tugged as hard as possible and he spluttered out an, "**OWOWOWOWOW OKAY**, **OKAY**!!!" waited for his hair to be released, and then pushed his knuckles in anyway. Kaname shuddered, posture straightening as he looked at Zero with a merciless hatred,

"If you wanted… to do this… you could given me more to relax." Technically speaking, the drugs did disable Kaname. To the extent where he couldn't use his abilities. Which meant if he took enough doses over a period of time, he wouldn't heal. A couple of their vacations had been test runs for the theory, including the Bermuda vacation, which had resulted in a nasty collision with some hidden coral, and also a very wanton, weeklong alcohol-induced sexscapade. Several island boys were involved in a few cases, much to Zero's distaste, but back to the fist lodged in Kaname's anus:

"I will never let you do this again." Kaname said in a quick monotone, trying to avoid yelping again as he wished desperately for the hand to warm.

"You know you will," Zero said, voice muffled by the shoulder in his mouth. "If you can take a sword through any part of your body, you can do this."

"**You** are doing this." Kaname reminded him caustically, flinching as the man tweaked something inside of him.

"Damn right. Doesn't mean you have to keep bitching about it. Now shut up before you can't stop yourself." He pushed up a bit, holding the brunette's thighs against the wall, removing his fist. The nervous shudder that wracked Kaname's body was delicious, but did little to stop the anger boiling in his voice,

"If you don't like what I say, why don't you see what's it's like to be in my position. We'll see what you have to… say then," He'd started pushing in,

"'Coz my anus is sacred, now seriously, _be quiet_."

It was much looser than what he was used to. Then again, he didn't exactly 'punch' that area of Kaname's body too often. If at all, it warranted a slap for being too damn eye-catching, though Zero was far from saying anything like that without intentionally humiliating or dominating the other man. It was all to keep up the little illusion he'd had going on. Something to keep Kaname in the dark when it came to what the light-haired man thought of him. God forbid he ever found out why he put up with so much and let himself be fucked repeatedly.

"If you're not going to do this, could I get dressed?" The bored man said from his perch. Zero snapped to reality and impulsively reached for Kaname's hips, whether as something to tether him or start thrusting, he wasn't quite sure. Instantly, the brunette closed his eyes and breathed heavily. He groaned as the bricks kept scraping his back, affirming that he would probably be a bloody mess by the end of it. Zero was having very few difficulties keeping up a good pace, bad medical reviews or not, his heart bumping against his bones ecstatically and strongly. Apparently, it had been a while since they'd had sex this good.

"Is this angle alright?" He puffed, struggling to get his friend's attention, or stop long enough so the man would 'wake up' and answer him. Chocolate hair made waves as Kaname routinely sucked in and blew out air, his blood pumping furiously to keep up with demands. Zero's eyes widened when the man stiffly curled around him, finding trouble in folding his long limbs after being trapped in the same state for so long. His forehead rested on a clothed shoulder,

"It's fine." He sighed, sounding like he was choking when the man started up again. It wasn't a quick pace quite yet, Zero being strangely concerned to the point of morality and ethics, i.e., taking Kaname's needs into consideration, but the brunette loathed the moment the man would switch from the deep, tender strokes to the shallow, haphazard thrusts of dogs mounting in allies. He felt the deliberate, long motions, the angle actually not reaching what he would have, under normal circumstances, insisted it would and do so quickly. Instead he felt this rush of longing for the moment to continue. If his discomfort was the price to pay for this rare and cherished moment, then so be it. But, of course, whether or not he liked it, Zero was bound to want to get to the point some time.

The man repositioned him, and Kaname braced himself for something he had known to be wretchedly fast-paced and certainly not the cleanest way to finish off. Rough jabs and pulls replaced the soft, questioning motions Zero had given him, and they made Kaname mourn the loss of those motions more acutely than ever.

He pushed in as much as he thought he could, then stalled for a moment, pushing limbs around. Kaname, breathily, asked him,

"What are you… doing…?!" He pushed in even more, listening to the other man's hisses and moans his as he did so. The hairs from the base of his penis were swallowed by the ooze of blood and fluids trickling out of Kaname's rectum. He stayed there for a moment, pushing the brunette's back to the wall and holding his wrists there, as well. Keeping up the tense body with his thighs, he rested his head on the man's chest and inhaled the scents of sex and the dark remnants of doubt from their fight. He was planting more in Kaname than he planned to sow.

"If you're going to… stop, just… say so. Please…" The man's withered voice would have empowered Zero's hazy resolve, had he been lacking any. He just felt so tired, and no matter how much the brunette just dripped sexuality, it wouldn't make a difference. Suddenly, the wrists were sliding down the wall and away from his grasp, and he just stood there instead, waiting for something to happen, nuzzling that thin chest as arms delicately pushed him away, "Zero," Kaname started, still wheezing, "Just finish." Then, Zero did an amazing thing: he returned his hands to the wall, waiting for his aggressor to start again. He looked at the brunette; at this perfect picture of submission and compliance. He knew acting so vulnerable was not something a man of such import would tolerate. Not in any amount. But there Kaname was, surrendering like he had born for the role, on his back with another man on top of him and taking it like a _real_ man would. Or, perhaps more accurately, like a woman would. Suddenly, Zero felt all the more wretched,

"I'm sorry, hold on." Kaname closed his eyes again as the light-haired man gripped his wrists, wiggling a bit to get comfortable. Then, with not a hint of the gentleness he truthfully knew the pureblood loved, pulled out quickly and slammed back in, a double-slap echoing from skin-on-skin and skin-on-brick.

The brunette winced and called out incoherently. It was like the stage of a race where the runners start sprinting as hard as they can around the corner, begging for the strength to reach the finish line as fast as possible. One thrust hurts like Hell; the next is the sweet kiss to make it better, maybe hitting his prostate once or twice. Then more and more pain, until it becomes so violent Kaname opens his eyes and throws his head up, mouth wide and voice cracking as he screams, and then the cycle begins again. Only rarely during this stage of sex would Zero make the effort to make it painless. On days when they didn't use medication, the brunette had been sure his friend was tearing him apart. Constantly ripping and healing, sometimes for thirty minutes, he would struggle to strangle his traitorous voice and keep as quiet as possible: pain under lock and key, hands crossed over his chest like a dead man with his talons digging into his shoulders, scarring his own skin because he knew it excited both of them. Every wound would go away by the morning. Every single one, deep or shallow, evaporated within minutes, at the most.

"Zero… please stop," Kaname whispered, arms locked around the other man's shoulders. He kept wincing, feeling the slick passage between his legs; the blood eased the steady friction, serving a double-purpose in exciting the light-haired man by its scent.

It took a few moments to register what the other man had said. But they were so close to orgasm, Zero figured it wouldn't matter if he did stop. And as he continued thrusting, brutal pushes and pulls—tugging on Kaname's very essence—he tuned in to the small chants of

"Stop…"

"Please,"

"Don't,"

"_Please stop_!"

All separated by pained gasps, the hunter took them in like an immaculate celestial chorus, finally grunting as he came at their sweet sound. Kaname tensed immediately, burying his head in the crook of a pale neck and shrieking as the warmth spread inside him, semen being caught in pubic hair as Zero slowly edged his way out. He kept his grip on the man firm, hiding his head while his legs went numb and he was sure the other was ready to sleep.

"Kaname," The brunette nearly winced at his name, and tried to gather himself, having a tough time of it and responding badly to the pain wracking his system. Now he _really_ needed the medication to wear off. "Kaname, I need to get you in the shower, okay?" Kaname didn't react, but as Zero slowly sloughed him off and tried to put him to the ground, he found his legs were still shaking, the crude mixture running down to his ankles putrid and all too familiar to him. He closed his eyes and attempted steadying himself, close to failing as he wobbled on his first step. Zero sighed impatiently, scooping the man in worn-out arms. Surprisingly, he got no objections.

A dark head rested against his clavicle, and though he couldn't look down, he could sense the shame and anger Kaname was already feeling. They'd though they'd get over the regret and feelings of betrayal after a few months of sex, but after most sessions hung a heavy air of self-disgust and the old hatred, kept simmering long after the worst of their problems had been eradicated. Their lamentations were a testament to the fragility of their positions as 'play-lovers', and were, to Zero, an insanely blatant and cruel reminder of what he had done to the man who never trusted anyone.

He set the dripping body in the shower, and turned on the water. Kaname leaned against the wall, massaging his head with one hand and half-heartedly (and possibly unconsciously) concealing his nudity with the other. The light-haired man grimaced when he saw the blood that had poured freshly onto his carpeting. It smeared the tile crimson and a dark pink. He looked over at the source, where a sluggish stream from a weathered backside. But when he approached the other man, concerned about how much was spilling forth, Kaname only eyed him distrustfully, glaring with his hair wet and pouring over his face from the shower.

"You don't need to do anything else."

**Get out**.

And suddenly, Zero got a very intense feeling. He walked toward the other man, ignoring the alarm that shone in those dark eyes. He wasn't entirely sure why he wanted to do this, but that firm, "_Fuck off_" message only set his resolve like bedrock. When he'd cornered the brunette in the white stall, he moved in, watching as Kaname tiredly gave access to his neck, falling against the tile in exhaustion and flinching when the tender wounds and scabs inside of him rubbed against each other painfully.

Sure enough, Zero nestled into the crook of his neck. He jumped when he felt a hand brush against his crotch, a knee nuzzling the space between his thighs so as to part them further.

"Zero, just give it up. It's not going to happen… tonight…" Fingers teased him, combing through the hair and coming up with a pearly white. A tongue licked his neck with luxurious sensuality,

"Relax; I'm only cleaning." He pulled back his hand to show off the sticky white coating his fingers, and Kaname looked away in disgust, cringing when teeth bit into him. In long, slow draughts, he was drained, and as he became light-headed, he began to understand Zero's motive: the pain was going away.

"…Thank you…" He said dazedly when the other man parted, sucking the last of the free-falling blood from whitish skin.

"Scrub yourself and hop back into bed. The medicine should wear off in a day or so," He paused dramatically, making sure the woozy Kaname understood the suggestion floating through his words, "the weekend starts tomorrow and I want to make as much good of it as I can." He left on that note, soaked as he shut the bathroom door and stripped, crawling into bed, hair wetting the pillow from the scalding water of the shower head.

Kaname crouched in the bathroom after his counterpart left, watching his blood swirl in the drain. One hand toyed with his hair while the other rested idly on the tile. Everything had a slightly surreal feeling, and no matter how hard he tried to brush off the pain in his heavily bleeding back, or the incessant ringing in his ears, they only intensified.

"Shit…" He groaned, almost surprised he'd sworn, even in his state. Zero was unconscious in the next room, so even if Kaname cried for a help, the best he'd get was a cold answer. Not that he would, no matter his condition.

He scrabbled on the floor, trying to get a good hold on the world as he pushed himself up. With each slow beat of his heart, the wounds on his back gushed just a little more, the ravaged skin ready to drip off. He didn't dare lean against the wall at this point. Instead, with a horrible, wobbling pace, he managed to lunge for the door and pull himself up, though his knees trembled uncontrollably. It hurt to just stand up, and he found a hand sneaking around him to try to rub out the pain between his legs. It only made it worse, pressing the ruined skin against scabs and sore spots. The shower was still running, and blood trickled down his legs in root-like streams. It made the floor too slick to properly walk, and as he opened the door, his legs almost gave way beneath him as he slipped in a growing puddle of his own fluids. Zero slept soundly as he crept into bed, lying on his stomach to take away as many of the stings and throbs as feasible.

"You could have asked for help," the light-haired man sighed, rubbing his temples when he felt the other man inconspicuously pull down the sheets. Kaname came to a standstill before lying down, abnormally subdued. Zero got up for a moment, surveying the thrashed skin with an air of interest, but little compassion. "I'll look at it for you in the morning, before the medicine wears off. You've had worse; I know you can take this." And within seconds, the acerbic man was on his side, dreaming.

Kaname stayed quite awake, however, hiding his heated face beneath his hair and his pillow, chocolate hair having fallen around him in sopping clumps. He glanced at the man sleeping beside him, reaching for the short, wet hairs poking into the drenched pillow.

"I wonder if you really understand how much I can take." He said softly, hand stopping and lying uselessly on the pillow. He studied Zero for a while, waiting patiently until the pain got to such a point that he passed out. Of course, the man had slept through whatever meaning might have been behind those words. Not that he would have cared, Kaname sometimes mused. As much as he would unearth himself—freeing his very soul at this man's request—he knew Zero wouldn't bother to look. And Zero liked to keep it that way.

Because whatever the cost, he couldn't bear to reveal to Kaname the deepest reasons he kept him so bound and pained. He was a bit of a masochist, in that way.


End file.
